Champion Creed
Chapter 345 - 345 141 One on one even DPOY is useless Vote for monthly pass!_4

345: 141: One on one, even DPOY is useless (Vote for monthly pass!)_4 345: 141: One on one, even DPOY is useless (Vote for monthly pass!)_4 Since everyone’s target was Roger this time, when O’Neal received the ball, the only person beside him was the unfortunate Sam Perkins.

Perkins had no choice but to hug Shaq who had already jumped but it was too late, O’Neal had already smashed the ball into the basket with the arms that had destroyed two NBA basketball hoops!

The referee’s whistle blew, and O’Neal looked at Perkins, who was knocked to the ground, and roared to the sky.

Lying on the ground, Perkins looked up at Shaq who, despite being held, still managed the slam, his expression saying, “God, you must be joking with me, right?”

The strategy George Karl believed would be effective was completely shattered.

And what shattered everything was not some clever counter-tactic but merely because of Roger!

The DPOY was played like a rookie who had no idea how to defend; Roger still managed to drive the offense effortlessly!

As for O’Neal, whenever he got the ball with only one person beside him, it meant the defense had already failed.

From behind the commentary booth, Steve Jones shook his head.

Who could stop this duo now?

They weren’t just the best pair of the season; they absolutely had the capacity to compete for the title of the strongest duo in history!

George Karl was certain that Roger and Shaq would falter, but unfortunately, that thunder seemed not to strike during the 1996 finals.

They still connected and cooperated, still fighting together to vanquish their foes.

If they could keep making Jordan fail for two consecutive seasons, then everyone else could only meet the same fate.

Of course, Roger couldn’t pass the ball during every double-team or score on Payton every single round,

But at least he proved that he still had a way to break this defense.

In the blink of an eye, the score gap had widened to double digits.

Although it was Shaq who just scored, Payton’s confidence was severely affected.

Because Roger’s ability to break into the restricted area and draw the defense started with him breaking DPOY’s man-to-man defense.

He had always thought he could handle both Jordan and Roger, always thought he was the only one in the league who could guard them.

But today, the harsh outcome told him he wasn’t.

In the subsequent game, Roger continued to torment Payton.

A pull-up jumper from beyond the three-point line, hit.

A signature spin-move jumper, hit.

A step-back jumper after one dribble, still a hit.

Roger’s arsenal was so varied that the scoring title of the season was shining brightly amidst the uncomfortable defeat of the DPOY!

“Katana, Damascus blade, Malacca cane sword…

none of the sharp things in this world are as sharp as Roger!” Steve Jones exclaimed, looking at the butchered Payton.

Roger and Shaq continued their onslaught, offering no breathing room to the SuperSonics, pulling the lead even wider.

Payton couldn’t guard Roger at all; the DPOY was being publicly executed in front of the entire world’s eyes, undoubtedly the most tragic DPOY of the season.

When Payton rested, the SuperSonics continued to send in Nate McMillan who had made the second-team All-Defense for two years in a row to guard Roger, hoping this revolving defense would wear him out.

But the outcome was even more miserable; in the third quarter, hailed as “If Gary is the heart of the team, then Nate is the soul,” Nate McMillan, fighting until his back injury recurred, still couldn’t stop Roger from penetrating the defense.

Sitting on the bench, McMillan covered his face and cried.

Because after truly facing Roger, he immediately realized something: his dream of a championship seemed close, yet was actually incredibly far away.

Tonight, the whole world also learned a fact—no one could defend Roger one-on-one, whether he was the DPOY or a defensive guard, if it was one-on-one, don’t even think about stopping Roger’s stride!

Ultimately, Roger scored 37 points with a shooting percentage of 45%!

Roger’s shooting accuracy indeed dipped, down nearly 7% from his regular season’s 51.9%.

Moreover, he committed 4 turnovers, all directly related to Payton.

That’s the impact of DPOY.

But that was all the impact DPOY could muster.

It could slightly reduce Roger’s shooting accuracy, but this level of decrease hardly affected the game!

George Karl’s idea wasn’t wrong, DPOY could contain Roger.

But the effect of the containment wasn’t as significant as he had anticipated.

For the SuperSonics, Payton grabbed 10 rebounds and dished out 6 assists, but managed only 15 points with a miserable 38% shooting on 18 attempts.

Reign Man hammered in 26 points with a shooting accuracy of 54%.

But O’Neal also scored 26 points, the difference being Shaq shot 64%.

If not for terrible free throws, Shaq could have joined Roger in the 30+ club for the game.

In star matchups, the SuperSonics were almost completely defeated.

So, let’s compare the performance of role players.

Both sides’ role players, due to investing too much energy on the defensive end, performed poorly offensively, resulting in a draw.

In this scenario, the vast disparity between the stars of both teams was reflected in the score, with Orlando Magic winning by 19 points, 111 to 92!

This didn’t resemble a championship finals at all!

Roger walked off the court, the scoring champion who left DPOY in tatters threw his towel to the fans in the stands, sparking a frantic scramble.

In his third professional year, he was already a true superstar.

People believed that, after three more games, he would add a second star to his career honors.

The era of Roger had arrived, unstoppable.

Years later, people would praise Gary Payton’s courageous advance, but that could not change the fact he was a loser.

— Steve Jones concluded at the end of the game.

As most media had anticipated, this round of the finals lacked suspense.

Indeed, the SuperSonics tried hard, but we must recognize that the ’96 Magic was one of the best teams in history, and Roger one of the greatest players of all time.

— Larry Miller, a senior consultant for Reebok basketball department, said during an interview at the venue.

The weakest DPOY and the weakest All-NBA Second Team member, that’s all the SuperSonics had.

And Orlando Magic?

We have two real FMVPs, me and Roger.

— O’Neal responded with a smile during an interview.

There is nothing more painful than sitting on the bench watching your team lose.

— Nate McMillan, the soul of the SuperSonics, cried covering his face as he couldn’t continue the game in the third quarter due to a recurring back injury.

Roger has been doing this all season, haven’t you gotten used to it yet?

In my eyes, Roger is already the greatest player of all time.

He has brought me to this point, close to the championship.

He’s the kind of leader I would follow forever.

— Sarunas Marciulionis discussed Roger’s performance today.

As a coach, I can’t ask for more.

I just hope the team can regroup and play better.

— George Karl very modestly accepted the interview, a stark contrast to his arrogant demeanor before the game.

He no longer says “We can win” and no longer fantasies about popping the Magic’s bubble.

Because he too knew how foolish he was before the game, imagining he could easily defeat the Magic with some petty tricks.

This was a step toward Roger becoming a top player in the pyramid.

As for George Karl and his team, they were more like an inconspicuous step under Roger’s feet.

He only needed to step over three more steps to take his place on the throne.

Would Roger trip over the steps under his feet?

Only the SuperSonics themselves knew.